Stock-car.



PATENTED AUG. 29, 1905.

E. WYATT.

STOCK GAR.

APPLIUATION FILED ma. 17. 1905.

" .Il-I

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 29, 1905.

Application led March 17, 1905. Serial No. 250,599-

, cars. .Observation shows that cattle try to get away from the ends ofthe cars, and a space of one foot or two feet can be seen between theend and the iirst animal at each end of the car. Stock do this becauseof being knocked against the ends of the car. When a whole car-load ofcattle are thrown toward the end of the car, the animal next to the endgets a terrible pressure on it, knocking it against the end of the carwith a tremendous force. Cattle are often knocked down in this I manner,and often the only way to get the animal up is Vto unload or partlyunload the car, and very often the animal that is down is killed. I haveprovided means for preventing the animal next to the end fromreceivingsuch hard knocks and pressure, and same means make it practical to helpup an animal without disturbing the other animals in the car.

Other objects and advantages will be fully explained in the followingdescription, and the invention will be more particularly pointed out inthe claims.

Reference is had to the accompanyingdrawings, which form a part of thisapplication and specification.

Figure 1 shows a broken view of a car with the improvements attached,the front boards being left off so that the safety end piece and springsmay be seen. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of a car, showing the safetyendpiece and the tracks for guiding the end piece. Fig. 3 is a detail Viewof one of the tracks, showing manner of mounting the end piece. .Fig 4.is an elevation of the safety end piece, showing the disposition of thesprings and the guiding-lugs. Fig. 5 is a broken sectional plan viewshowing a variation in the manner of mounting the safety end piece. Fig.6 is a detail plan View showing a variation in the manner of mountingthe springs of .the safety end piece. Fig. 7 is a cross-section of oneof the racks for locating the cross piece or bar for mounting thesprings shown in Fig.

6. Fig. 8 is an elevation of the devices shown in Fig. 6, showing alever attached.

Similar characters of reference are used to indicate the same partsthroughout the several views.

The improvement herein described is applicable 'to any stock-car ofordinary construction and can be readily attached to cars in use.

The safety end piece consists of a buffer 1, which is mounted on tracks2, attached to the side posts 3 of the car, and these tracks may becountersunk in the posts 3. The tracks 2 have grooves 4 therein toreceive the guide-lugs 5, which are attached to the buffer 1. The lugs 5may be spherical and slidable in the grooves 4, so that the buffer 1will have reciprocal motion from and toward the end of the car. Spiralsprings 6 of suitable length and of suitable strength are attached tothe buffer 1 and to the end of the car in any suitable manner. Thespiral springs hold the buffer 1 normally at a short distance from theend of the car, but permit a yielding motion of the buffer toward theend of the car when pressure comes against the buer. The lugs 5 may beattached to the buffer 1 in any suitable manner. Fig. 4 shows the lugsformed on the ends of bars 7, which may be attached to the buer. Fig. 3shows the lugs 5 formed on the end of a bolt which is inserted in thebufer. Means are provided for drawing the buffer 1 against the end ofthe car. A windlass ofusual construction,consisting of the rod 8,hand-wheel 9, and ratchet and dog 10, is mounted on the end of the car,and a chain 11 is attached to the buffer and to the rod or shaft 8. ByWinding the chain 11 on the rod 8 the buffer 1 may be drawn practicallyagainst the end of the car. This may be done whenever an animal isldown, so that space may be had for getting the animal on its feet. Thebuffer 1 may be two feet or more or less from the bottom of the car, sothat an animal may be protected under the buffer while down. The bufferneed not extend high enough to be in the way of passage through thesmall door 12 usually placed in such cars.

The variation shown in Fig. 5 consists of the means for mounting thebuffer in the tracks 2. The means for accomplishing this may be U-shapedbars 13, with the arms en-A gaging the tracks 2 in the same manner asthe lugs 5 engage these tracks. If such bars IOO are used, the slots 4might be dispensed with and the arms of the bars 13 would havelongitudinal movement in the tracks.

Instead of attaching the springs 6 to the end of the car these springsmay be attached to bars 14 and provision madefor locating these bars 14at different points in the car. For this purpose racks 15 may beattached to the posts?) in the same manner that the tracks 2 areattached to these posts. The bars 14 could then be set at any distancedesirable from the end of the car. The racks l5 may be made in themanner illustrated and the bars 14 provided with lugs 16 to engag'e theracks 15. These lugs may be placed in any pair of the recesses 17 whichare between the teeth of the racks. The same tracks 2 may be used forthe bufer'l. Means are provided Jfor elevating the bars 14, so that thelugs 16 may be set in other pairs of recesses 17 of the racks 15. Abail'19 may be securedto the upper bar 14 by catches 20, which may bestaples driven into the bar or otherwise secured therein. A cord orcable 18 may be run over a pulley 22 and then attached to the .bail19.The cord or cable 18 can then be eX- tended to the outside of .the carfor convenience. A pull on the cable 18 will raise the bars 14 for thepurpose of setting lthe butter at diierent positions. When the bars 14have been raised, these bars may be shoved to the desirable position byhand or otherwise. The bars 14 may be made rigid with each other by barsor rods 21. l

Various changes may be made in constructing and arranging the bufferwithout departing from my invention. The buffer might be called a falseend. The buii'er will not occupy more space than is usually left in thecar by the animals pressing away from the end to prevent being knockedagainst the end of the car, because the animals will soon learn that thebuffer will not hurt them.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A spring-buffer for stock-cars and means for holding said buffer inplace at different adjustments near the end of the car.

2. A spring-buer for stock-cars mounted inside of the car-body and nearthe end of the car and tracks for guiding said buffer in motion towardor from the end ot' the car.

3. Ayielding buier for stock-cars mounted inside of the car-body andnear the end of the car, tracks for said buffer, and guiding-lugscarried by said buffer and engaging said tracks.

4. A spring-butler `for stock-cars mounted near the end of the car,tracks having grooves therein conntersunk in the posts of the car, andguiding-lugs carried by said butler and engaging said tracks.

5. A yielding buffer for stock-cars mounted near the end of the car andmeans for pressing the buler toward the end of the car.

6. A spring-buffer for stock-cars held normally near the end of the carand a chain and awindlass for forcing said buer toward the end of thecar.

7. Aspring-butfer for stock-cars and means for receiving and holdingsaid buer at different positions in the car.

8. A spring-buffer for stock-cars, a frame for setting said buier atdiiiierent positions in the car, and means for carrying and holding saidframe at stationary positions in the car.

9. A spring-buffer for stock-cars, a frame for carrying and holding saidbuffer at different positions, racks for said frame, and lugs carried bysaid frame adapted to engage said racks. A

10. A spring-buffer for stock-cars, a frame for setting said buffer atdifferent positions in the car, racks for said frame, lugs carried bysaid frame adapted to engage said racks, and means for elevating saidframe to set the same at different positions.

11. A louder for stock-cars, a frame for holding said buffer atdifferent positions in the car, guiding-tracks for said bui'er, racksfor said frame, and means for elevating said frame to set the same atdifferent positions on said racks.

In testimony whereof I set my hand, in the presence of two witnesses,this 8th day of March, 1905.

EVERETT WYATT. Witnesses:

A. L. JACKSON, EDWIN E. WYATT.

